New materials for battery cells which may result in a high energy density and a relatively low cost have been investigated and studied for several years. However, the chemistry of the battery cell has not been changed greatly for over 20 years. Although some materials such as layer-layer Li-rich materials having Li2MnO3 structure or Si based materials may be able to increase energy density, they will be not be commercially available for several years. The inventors herein have recognized that a battery module energy density can be increased at a relatively low cost if the battery module space is decreased as described herein, in order to increase an electric vehicle range.
In particular, the inventors herein have recognized a need for a battery module and battery cell that have an improved placement of electrical terminals thereon that allows for an improved placement of electrical devices such as interconnect boards and wire harnesses thereon to maximize a battery system energy density by decreasing the unusable space of the battery system. A high energy density battery module can be obtained by utilizing the battery cell and the battery module described herein.